A Gardener's New Year Resolution

As I begin looking foward to the new year, I reflect on the memorable moments from this past year.  There certainly were challenges, some within my control, many dictated by Mother Nature herself.  She really is in charge.   I just humbly try my best to be a good steward and tend to the land while I garden in harmony with nature.  I can't think of anything more enjoyable that spending time in the garden.  But when the temps reach triple digits, I tend to slack off and the next thing I know, the garden is out of control, which makes it harder to make resolutions.  I surely don't want to disappoint myself by not following through with the promises I make.  It's tempting to make promises that are easy to keep, such as growing something new in the garden.  I'm going do that anyway, or water the garden in the morning to keep it at its healthiest.  Of course I will.  But committing to pulling the weeds, not so easy; especially as the summer reaches high gear.  It gets quite hot, making it hard to get outdoors at all, let alone pull weeds! 

By the time spring rolls back around, I have forgotten about all the sweating and back breaking work I did the year before.  All I see is promise of a beautiful year, while I wait patiently for the moment I can take that first step along the garden path.  It’s a new beginning,  a time to sow the seeds and nurture them to fruition.  I probably seem like a child learning for the first time, as I set forth on my journey full of hopes and dreams.  I don‘t care what others think because I know this is what makes me happy. The wonder of nature; I wait excitedly to see that first spring bloom or the first butterfly flitting about.

It's those moments when I become a part of nature that I love best, and it's what keeps my heart full and my soul content.  I had one such memorable moment this past summer.  It was June 17th,  I set out to water early since the temps were expected to reach 100°.  It's already hot by 8:30 a.m. but the wind is blowing and I think how nice that is; it should keep the chickens a little cooler and I am thankful for the wind and the trees.

I turned on the sprinkler to water a portion of the garden while I hand watered the front roses.  As I looked around to make sure everything was getting a drink,  I noticed a robin perched on the fence waiting for a spray from the sprinkler.  I smiled as I watched it bathe, then a hummingbird perched on a nearby lime tree for a shower, and soon several more hummingbirds joined in.  I left the sprinkler on longer than usual that morning.  

It's moments like this that remind me to give thanks, so I looked up at the sky to say “thank you.”  My amazement continued as I looked up to see at least a dozen dragonflies flying overhead.   It was the first time I had seen any dragonflies all year which made them an extra special sight.  Besides, I am particularly fond of dragonflies, they are special.

It was a bit surreal as I stood there watching nature happen.  I truly felt an interconnection,  a sense of unity, maybe it was a feeling of one-ness with nature as I stood there among all the flying creatures.  Yes indeed, it is moments like this that make my heart sing. 

The day continued to be quite magical.  As I finally made my way toward the front door, I saw a robberfly land on the walkway in front of me.  I thought about how I hadn't seen many bees visiting the sunflowers or pollinating the summer squash that was growing in the garden, although I had recently witnessed one such thug stalk and attack a bee.  As I contemplated going inside and getting the natural insecticide (which I don't like using unless necessary because it can also kill a beneficial insect) and give that robberfly a little shot, a bird swooped down and snatched it up. 

How ironic, I thought to myself, because nature really does take care of itself. What a reminder!

My Resolutions

* Keep a journal.  No matter how many times I tell myself I will remember what I planted when, where, how or why, I will not remember most of the time unless I write it down.

* And label the pots, because Sister, otherwise you aren't gonna remember that you even planted seeds in that pot. 

* Listen more closely to the sound of nature.

Happy New Year!